Safety hard hat and face shield assembly

ABSTRACT

A hard hat which provides the safety integrity of a hard hat, but includes an integrated face shield manipulable from a non-use position to a use position and vice versa by the wearer utilizing one hand without the necessity of removing the hard hat from the head of the wearer.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/185,161, filed Jul. 21, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to protective wear, and in particularly, to a hard hat typically worn by contractors and construction people, the hard hat having an integrated face shield assembly.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Hard hats are worn by contractors and construction people on construction sites, and in particular on construction sites where construction is taking place at elevated levels, such as a high rise or the like. The hard hat is designed to protect the head of an individual from falling objects or to protect the head from being struck by overhanging construction beams or construction materials. A typical hard had consists of a one piece polymer shell having either a circumferential visor or a front visor for shielding the eyes from glare. A harness is disposed within the hard hat on snap fit receptacles, the receptacles being integral with the hard hat. The interior harness is adjustable to the size of the head of the individual wearing the hard hat. The hard hat harness is adjusted so that the harness is in communication with the top and circumferential portion of the head such that there is a space between the harness and the polymer shell so that a blow to the polymer shell is not directly imparted to the head of the individual.

In many construction situations a construction person requires the use of a face shield as a result of certain construction practices. Once such practice would the clearing of particulate matter in advance of laying a concrete slab which would result in particulate matter being blown into the air and possibly into the face and eyes of individuals in the vicinity. Another situation would be where pneumatic drilling was occurring. Such face shields are available in the prior art which include a strap or connector which stretches around the circumference of the head and supports a depending face shield which depends from the forehead across the face of the individual. On a construction site the individual would still require a hard hat to be worn, and therefore the individual now must attend to two articles of safety equipment.

Applicant's invention eliminates the need for two articles of safety equipment by incorporating an integrated face shield with the hard hat which allows the user to move the integrated face shield from a non-use position to a use position while still remaining integrated with the hard hat an not effecting the integrity for safety for which the hard hat was intended.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel hard hat with an integrated face shield assembly slidably positionable from a use position to a non-use position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel hard hat with an integrated face shield assembly which does not affect the safety integrity of the hard hat.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel hard hat with an integrated face shield which can be manipulated from a use position to a non-use position and vice versa with one hand without having to remove the hard hat from the head of the individual.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A hard hat which provides the safety integrity of a hard hat, but includes an integrated face shield manipulable from a non-use position to a use position and vice versa by the wearer utilizing one hand without the necessity of removing the hard hat from the head of the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical hard hat of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is an interior view of a typical hard hat of the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hard hat with integrated face shield assembly;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the hard hat with integrated face shield assembly;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a hard hat with an integrated face shield assembly; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the face shield and tension knob.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a typical hard hat 10 of the prior art and FIG. 2 is an interior view of the hard hat of FIG. 1. The hard hat 10 is typically molded of polymer in a unitary construction having a dome portion and a visor portion. The hard hat 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a visor 12 portion extends about the entire periphery 13 of the dome portion 14. However hard hats are also constructed with a front visor only. The hard hat 10 may be reinforced in the molding process by forming stiffeners 18 in the dome portion 14 so as to provide extra strength and greater protection for the head of the individual.

Unitarily formed on the interior of the dome portion 14 are a plurality of clip receptacles 20. Clip receptacles 20 are cooperative with clips 22 formed on the head band 24 of the interior harness 26 which circumscribes the head of the individual with various elements of the harness 26 in contact with the head of the individual in a cross hatch manner. The head band 24 of the harness 26 is adjustable to fit heads of varying circumference and the head band 24 and harness 26 are designed such that when properly adjusted, the harness 26 and head band 24 are in communication with the head of the individual thereby supporting the hard hat 10 a spaced apart distance from the head of the individual around the complete circumference of the head and the top of the head. In this fashion, the force of an object striking the hard hat 10 is not directly transmitted to the head of the individual, but is absorbed by the head band 24 and harness 26.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hard hat 10 incorporating an adjustable face shield. FIG. 4 is a front view of the hard hat 10 and face shield assembly and FIG. 5 is a side view of the hard hat 10 and face shield assembly. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the face shield and tension knob assembly. In this configuration, the head band 24 and harness assembly 26 on the interior of the hard hat is structured and secured the same as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, in this configuration, on the front or forward facing portion 30 of the hard hat 10, an integrated slot 32 is formed in the visor 12 portion where the visor 12 portion and the dome portion 14 would normally abut. Centrally positioned between the ends of the slot 32 so formed and slightly above it, there would be integrally formed in the dome 14 of the hard hat 10 a recessed groove 34 integrally formed with the hard hat and dome. Recessed groove 34 serves as a guide and frictional receptacle for a unitary threaded fastener 36 integrally formed with a tension knob 38 (see FIG. 6) so as to allow for the facile tightening or loosening of the tension knob 38 and threaded fastener 36 within the recessed groove 34. The threaded fastener 36 and tension knob 38 are cooperable with a facial shield 40 which is slidably positionable within slot 32 formed between the visor 12 and the dome 14 of hard hat 10. The facial shield 40 itself is formed with a threaded aperture 42 (see FIG. 6) centrally disposed thereon, proximate its upper edge 41 through which the threaded fastener 36 passes before frictionally engaging the recessed groove 34 in the dome 14 of hard hat 10. In this configuration, when the facial shield 40 is not required, the tension knob 38 can be loosened allowing the wearer of the hard hat to push the facial shield 40 upwardly to a non-use position and retightened.

The lower end 37 of threaded fastener 36 is of sufficient surface area to engage the lower surface of recessed groove 34 in order to provide sufficient frictional engagement to secure facial shield 40 in a desired position.

When a situation arises where facial shield 40 is required, the wearer merely rotates the tension knob 38 to release frictional engagement with recessed groove 34. Facial shield 40 can then be lowered in front of the eyes or face of the individual. The user would then tighten the tension knob 38 securing the facial shield 40 in a lower or eye or face protecting orientation with the threaded fastener 36 frictionally engaging recessed groove 34.

Facial shield 40 itself would be constructed of a transparent safety material similar to that of the hard hat material. The design of the hard hat 10 by incorporating the partially circumferential slot 32 in the front visor 30 portion proximate the dome 14 portion and the recessed groove 34 for receipt of the threaded fastener 36 and tension knob 38 would not affect the integrity of the hard hat 10 with respect to its safety purpose. The incorporation of the face shield 40 with the hard hat 10 allows for construction personnel to quickly and easily adapt to changing work conditions where a face shield 40 may be required or a face shield 40 may not be required. The user or wearer is not required to remove the hard hat 10 in order to make the adjustment and therefore his safety is not jeopardized. The wearer would use one hand to adjust the tension knob 38—to slide the face shield 40 into an upright position or to lower the face shield 40, and subsequently tightening the tension knob 38.

While the present invention has been described with respect to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications or changes can be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore it is manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims and the equivalence thereof. 

1. A safety hard hat and face shield assembly comprising: a safety hard hat of one piece construction having a dome member and unitary visor, said visor having a slot formed therein proximate the intersection of said visor and said dome member, said dome member having a recessed groove integrally formed therein, said recessed groove centered above said visor slot; a facial shield slidably positioned in said visor slot, said facial shield having a threaded aperture centrally positioned proximate an upper edge thereof; a securing means positioned through said threaded aperture in said facial shield and selectively frictionally engageable in said recessed groove in said dome member, said securing means frictionally securing said facial shield and permitting the positioning of said facial shield in a slidably down, face protecting position or in an upward, non-use position, said securing means comprises a rotatable one piece tension knob with threaded fastener portion rotatably receivable within said threaded aperture in said facial shield, said threaded fastener portion slidable within said recessed groove in said dome portion and is selectively frictionally engageable with said recessed groove so as to position said facial shield on said dome member. a head band and harness assembly snap fit within said dome member and adjustable to the head of a user.
 2. The safety hard hat and face shield assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said face shield assembly is transparent and shatterproof.
 3. The safety hard hat and face shield assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said securing means is operable by one hand of the user without the necessity of removal of said safety hard hat.
 4. The safety hard hat and face shield assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said securing means maintains said face shield in a desired position by means of friction.
 5. A safety hard hat and face shield assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said unitary visor of said safety hard hat extends about the periphery of said dome member.
 6. The safety hard hat and face shield assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said unitary visor of said safety hard hat extends from the front end of said dome member of said safety hard hat. 